New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, that is, who suddenly finds himself under pressure from across the Republican Party to enter the presidential race.

That’s a prospect Christie himself has been exceedingly reluctant to embrace.

So far.

But some of the party’s top leaders and most influential figures — clearly troubled by the failure of anyone in the current field to stir broad, enthusiastic support — are pressing Christie, whom they believe can successfully lead the party against an increasingly vulnerable President Obama.

We agree.

The chatter about a possible Christie candidacy has taken off in the last few days, especially following yet another disappointing debate performance by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a presumed front-runner.

All of which indicates that Republicans believe they need someone stronger on the ballot come November 2012.

And there’s no denying that Chris Christie has long been the hottest ticket in town, a genuine GOP political superstar.

With good reason.

For one thing, he can construct a coherent sentence, appealing to people without talking down to them.

And there is a freshness to him that’s lacking in the other poll leader, Mitt Romney — who’s been campaigning for five years now.

For sure, Chris Christie doesn’t need a TelePrompTer to keep him on message.

That’s a talent likely born of his days as a prosecutor — the most successful that New Jersey has ever seen when it comes to fighting the Garden State’s endemic corruption.

He’s shown that same talent thus far as governor: Thanks to Christie, for the first time in decades people are using the words “New Jersey” and “political reform” in the same sentence — without irony.

For starters, he has brought a large measure of fiscal responsibility to a state mired in debt — effecting substantial public-employee pension reform along the way.

This was a real test for a Republican governor dealing with a famously intransigent Democratic legislature — and Christie clearly passed.

This speaks to the governor’s political skills: He’s focused and determined, but also flexible, and those are qualities sadly lacking in Washington these days.

Whether Christie is ready to make the run is open to question, but it’s crystal clear that if he does jump in he will instantly transform the Republican primary process.

Superstars can do that.

America right now is hungry for genuine leadership — someone who can take on the problems that have clearly proved too much for Barack Obama to handle.